Save the Advent season before skipping to Christmas
The liturgical season of Advent is the season of preparation for the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It’s a time to slow down, wait and prepare for the celebration that is to come. But in today’s culture it is hard to savor this time of preparation and not skip right ahead to Christmas. Here are a few simple ways to focus on Advent independently, with your spouse, friends or family.
Savor the season: Light an Advent wreath each night at dinner. Wait to put up/decorate your Christmas tree until Christmas Eve, or only put lights on, adding ornaments on Christmas Eve. Set up your nativity with just the animals. Have the other figures travel around your house until Christmas.
Simplify: Make simple meals, avoid meat on Fridays (check out our meatless meals Pinterest board), skip dessert. Donate the leftover grocery budget to a charity or your parish.
Unplug: Designate time each day to unplug from television and social media. Spend that time in prayer, with your family or pick up an Advent devotional.
Read: Do a book Advent calendar – wrap a book (gifts or ones you already own) for each day of Advent. Unwrap and read one together each day. Include books about saints with feasts during Advent and themes like charity.
Get crafty: Make a paper chain out of 24 purple and pink strips of paper. Write the name of a different prayer intention on each piece. Remove one link each day of Advent and pray for that intention. If you have young children, use a Jesse Tree or Advent Calendar to help them countdown to Christmastide.
Be a pilgrim: Make a pilgrimage to a local Marian Shrine (close options include Our Lady of Lourdes Shrines at the Assumption Grotto Church in Detroit or St. John Vianney Parish in Wyoming, Mich.).
Help those in need: Volunteer to help organize donations at a local shelter, serve at a soup kitchen, shovel your neighbor’s driveway unexpectedly, visit a nursing home with your family, over tip or pay someone else’s bill or bring warm food, beverages or clothing to the homeless
Stock up on grace: Go to confession at least once during Advent and spend some time in quiet prayer and contemplation in front of the Blessed Sacrament.
Feast Days to celebrate during Advent Dec. 3 – St. Francis Xavier
Dec. 4 – St. John Damascene
Dec. 6 – St. Nicholas
Dec. 7 – St. Ambrose
Dec. 8 – Immaculate Conception (holy day of obligation)
Dec. 9 – St. Juan Diego
Dec. 12 – Our Lady of Guadalupe
Dec. 13 – St. Lucy
Dec. 14 – St. John of the Cross
Dec. 17 – O Antiphons begin
Dec. 24 – Feast of the Seven Fishes
O Antiphons
December 17
O Wisdom of our God Most High,
guiding creation with power and love:
come to teach us the path of knowledge!
December 18
O Leader of the House of Israel,
giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai:
come to rescue us with your mighty power!
December 19
O Root of Jesse’s stem,
sign of God’s love for all his people:
come to save us without delay!
December 20
O Key of David,
opening the gates of God’s eternal Kingdom:
come and free the prisoners of darkness!
December 21
O Radiant Dawn,
splendor of eternal light, sun of justice:
come and shine on those who dwell in darkness and in the
shadow of death.
December 22
O King of all nations and keystone of the Church:
come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!
December 23
O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law:
come to save us, Lord our God!